Simon’s flexible bathroom with height-adjustable assistive solutions
Simon is eight years old and lives with his mother and father in Aarhus, Denmark. Simon has been diagnosed with the rare condition malignant migrating partial epilepsy.
As Simon grows, his needs change. Over time, the family’s bathroom was therefore no longer able to meet the needs of Simon, his family or his carers.
The family wanted a new, larger bathroom designed around Simon’s needs and capable of addressing the challenges they and his carers faced in providing day-to-day care. These challenges included ensuring Simon could be transferred safely and providing good working positions for his family and carers.
Testing the bathroom to make sure it met their needs
The family also wanted an attractive, modern bathroom that would feel welcoming to both family members and guests – rather than simply looking like a bathroom designed for a person with a disability.
At the Scandinavian Health & Rehab exhibition, the family explored several solutions, including a shower and changing table and a height-adjustable washbasin from Pressalit. They subsequently visited Pressalit’s test facilities, where the bathroom was recreated as a full-scale, 1:1 model.
This allowed Pressalit to give the family a realistic impression of how much space they would have and how the products would work within the room.
“I’m convinced that having the opportunity to come in and build the bathroom as a full-scale, 1:1 model helped us get it right the first time.”
Flexibility for changing needs
The family already had a good idea of what they wanted for Simon and which solutions would suit their needs. This was particularly important when it came to caring for Simon, as his needs continue to change as he grows older and bigger.
From Pressalit, they chose the Shower Table 2000 and the height-adjustable Matrix Medium washbasin.
For the family, the ability to raise and lower the shower table is essential. During transfers, it is important that the table can be adjusted to the appropriate height, helping to make transfers as safe and straightforward as possible for Simon, his family and his carers.
It is also important that the shower table can be folded up against the wall, freeing up valuable space in the bathroom when assisting Simon and manoeuvring other assistive equipment.
An adjustable washbasin for activities of daily living
The washbasin provides useful surface space on both sides, while its curved front allows Simon to get closer to the tap and water. The integrated hand grips at the front of the washbasin also help Simon feel calm and secure, as he likes to hold on to things.
“He can actually stand there while having his hair done, and he can stand at the washbasin while he is being changed or while we adjust his clothes. With its two hand grips, the washbasin can easily form part of his daily activities of daily living (ADL) training or standing exercises. It can also be used for balance exercises. The washbasin can easily be incorporated into his daily ADL training.”
— Henriette, Simon’s mother
“I think it’s clear that a great deal of thought has gone into both the details and the functionality. You can tell that the products have been developed through collaboration between designers and the people who actually use them.”
A modern bathroom design
The family is very happy with the finished bathroom, both in terms of its functionality and its overall style and appearance.
Henriette explains:
“With our style and the ideas we had for the room, I think it has been easy to incorporate Pressalit’s products into an attractive bathroom. It doesn’t necessarily look like a bathroom designed for a person with a disability – it also works as a bathroom for the whole family and for guests. The solutions we have chosen, several of which are from Pressalit, have helped us create a bathroom that looks really good.”
“It has been such a relief to have everything installed and completed. We now feel that we have more time and a greater sense of calm when caring for Simon. It reduces the physical strain on us, and it’s clear that Simon is comfortable with the new setup.”
